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Hughes: There’s been a changing of the guard this season

Stoke manager Mark Hughes expects shock results to become more commonplace as the gap between the country’s bigger clubs and the chasing pack narrows.

The Premier League is approaching its halfway point with Leicester guaranteed to be top of the table at Christmas, while Watford and Crystal Palace continue to defy expectations by flying high.

At the other end, champions Chelsea are stranded in the lower reaches, and with Stoke having beaten both the Blues and Manchester City this season, Hughes believes these ‘shock results’ will become the norm.

“I think this year isn’t a one-off, I think it’ll be more prevalent in years to come,” Hughes argued.

“There’s a changing of the guard somewhat. The ones with the most resources will invariably start to filter back up to the top, that always happens.

“But it’s good you’re seeing fresher faces in there. It makes it more interesting and we hope to be in the mix by the end.”